Sir,

Tenby and district local residents will have read with interest last week's leader article on 'the reprovisioning of health facilities' to replace Tenby Cottage Hospital. We are aware that £8 million is being made available for this project and that a site has been earmarked near Tenby Surgery.

The fact that there will be 39 car parking spaces available seems irrelevant in the list of priorities. Neither is the need for possibly sophisticated 'health facility' provision, assuming that this means necessary consulting rooms and suitable waiting areas. Clean, modern yet comfortable areas for these purposes need not cost the earth.

What should be budgeted for in the £8 million made available, is a suitably equipped and staffed accident and minor injury centre plus, above all, hospital beds staffed by NHS nurses on the same site.

In the light of an increase in the local population, any decrease in the present number of available beds would be unwise. There is hardly a family in Tenby who have not had sick, convalescent or terminally ill relatives and friends cared for at 'The Cottage'.

Our G.Ps rely on these beds, especially for elderly post-operation patients. Scarce beds in the acute surgical and medical wards in Withybush Hospital would be released and made available for those on waiting lists. A recent enquiry revealed that up to 20 per cent of regional hospital beds are taken up by convalescent patients, usually elderly and often living alone, with nowhere to go for much needed post-hospital care.

As the chairman of CATCH is well aware, those who are members of a political party are far better informed than most people. This is especially true of our elected MP Nick Ainger and our Assembly Member Christine Gwyther. They have worked and continue to work diligently on this issue. They are local people, too, and they know the problems.

Pembroke Dock hospital has lost no beds, so why waste this great opportunity to make the new 'health facility' in Tenby a better place for generations of patients to come. Beds must be included.

So, annual running costs may need to be updated to cover nursing costs, but this could be balanced by a decrease in Social Services care package costs, as well as the huge cost of keeping patients unnecessarily in hospital after operations, not forgetting the cost of private nursing/residential home care which would be partly paid for by the Assembly.

Whoever has the final say, let us hope they 'do their sums' correctly and leave out the fitted carpet.

If you want to make a difference, write to Finance Minister Edwina Hart AM or Health Minister Jane Hutt AM, Assembly Government Offices, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, CF99 INA.

Marjorie Bevan,

3 St, David's Close,

Tenby.